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Beef
debacle is Ma’s opportunity
Friday, Jan 01, 2010, Page 8
Many people ask why the National Security Council (NSC) handled the Taiwan-US
beef protocol instead of the Department of Health (DOH) or the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs. The NSC later said it became involved because it was a matter
of national security.
Now that the issue has gained notoriety, the Consumers’ Foundation (消基會) has
expressed firm opposition to easing beef restrictions and both pan-blue and
pan-green legislators reject the NSC’s and the Presidential Office’s handling of
the case.
The US has now issued a strong response. Failure to resolve the issue might have
an impact on Taiwan-US trade and economic ties, visa exemptions for Taiwanese
and possibly, in some way, more serious concerns such as defense.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) may hold three-quarters of all legislative
seats, but the outcome of legislative negotiations has resulted in stronger
controls on US beef imports, overturning the original protocol. This is
tantamount to rebellion and means the legislature is drawing a line in the sand,
while also dealing Su a sucker punch. However, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) will
suffer most — with the situation spinning out of control, his authority as a
leader will be dealt a severe blow.
Ma pays a great deal of attention to his image and stresses the importance of
communication and compromise, but shows a glaring lack of skill in both. Despite
cross-strait communication and compromise, the KMT has a hard time communicating
with Democratic Progressive Party Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). Likewise, his
close circle of confidantes may be outstanding academics, but they don’t
understand social dynamics and they lack political communication skills.
The US beef issue has resulted in a huge political hiccup, but Su’s highhanded
manner is causing widespread discontent, even within the blue camp. When the
government gave the green light to US beef imports, Minister of Health Yaung
Chih-liang (楊志良) almost resigned. The legislature was not informed in advance,
was not consulted during negotiations, and after the signing, was required to
support the decision. Neither the opposition nor the pan-blue camp was willing
to endorse the protocol and once the public protested, they went on the attack.
Had the NSC conducted a comprehensive assessment prior to its decision, it would
have produced a report to persuade the public and legislature and allay
concerns. The decision to fully relax restrictions on US beef imports was not
based on an expert assessment, which highlights the NSC’s incompetence. The
controversy is a longstanding one and if Su was not aware of its seriousness,
then he was negligent.
When Su was forced to report to the legislature, he talked about national
security and national interests. His condescending attitude annoyed and failed
to convince legislators. This highlights Su’s ignorance; he should shoulder
responsibility for the beef debacle.
The government’s weak response to Typhoon Morakot was a wake-up call for Ma
after his presidential election victory, while the KMT setback in recent local
elections created a sense of urgency. This is the chance Ma needs to carry out
wide-scale party reform. The legislature has moved against the beef protocol and
Ma has lost face at home and abroad. The only way for him to turn things around
is to learn his lessons. Otherwise, cross-strait talks on an economic pact with
China will prove to be another disaster.
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